“We are all spiritual ‘Lazaruses’ who cannot live without the grace of God.”

 

“We are all spiritual ‘Lazaruses’

who cannot live without the grace of God.”

 

 

 

 

 

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.  At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table.  Even the dogs came and licked his sores.  The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side.  The rich man also died and was buried.  In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’  But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.  And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’  He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers.  Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’  Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’  ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’  He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead’” (Luke 16:19-31).

(1)   Today, focusing on the passage from Luke 16:20–21, I would like to reflect on the earthly life of “Lazarus the beggar” and glean the lessons it offers.

 

(a)    When reading verse 20 in the Greek text, I became interested in two specific Greek words that I would like to examine:

 

(i)   The first Greek word is “πτωχὸς” (ptōchos), which is translated as “beggar” (v. 20) in the Korean Bible. 

 

·        This word appears at the very beginning of verse 20 in the Greek Bible; it signifies more than mere poverty, referring instead to an "indigent person or beggar who possesses nothing and must rely entirely on the mercy of others."   Based on Lazarus's situation in the text, here are three deep meanings associated with this word:

 

1.      Absolute Poverty and Helplessness

 

Absolute Destitution: While Greek has a word for a state of relative lack of wealth (penēs), the Bible uses “ptōchos” for Lazarus. This refers to a beggar in a state of total destitution, utterly unable to sustain their own livelihood.

 

Physical Helplessness: In the passage, Lazarus lay "abandoned" at the rich man's gate.  He was in a wretched state, lacking even the strength to move about and beg.

 

2.      Total Dependence

 

Reliance on Others' Mercy: Etymologically, “ptōchos” derives from words meaning "to crouch" or "to tremble in fear."

 

A Life of Begging: Like Lazarus, who sought to fill his belly with scraps falling from the rich man's table, this word intuitively illustrates a state where survival is impossible without the help and attention of others.

 

3.      Connection to Spiritual Poverty (Religious Significance)

One Who Looks Only to God: This is the same word used in Matthew 5:3 for the "poor in spirit" (ptōchos).

 

Total Reliance: The name Lazarus means "God helps."  It represents the spiritual state of a human being who—unable to rely on worldly material possessions or their own strength—has no choice but to place their hope entirely in God's mercy and salvation.

 

-        Reflecting on the fact that the word *ptōchos* (beggar) is used in Matthew 5:3 ("poor in spirit") and that the name "Lazarus" means "God helps," I was reminded of the "dead Lazarus" whom Jesus raised to life in John 11.

 

a.    The Fulfillment of the Name: "God’s Help" realized through the two Lazaruses (the Lazarus in today’s text, Luke 16, and the Lazarus in John 11)

 

"Lazarus" is a name derived from the Hebrew "Eleazar," meaning "God helps."  Although the two Lazaruses in the Bible appeared to the world as the most forsaken of people, they ultimately became figures who—true to their names—received God’s complete help.  However, the manner and dimension in which that help was fulfilled differed.

 

Lazarus in the Gospel of Luke (Help through eternal salvation in the afterlife)

 

        On earth, he lived a wretched life, suffering from sores at the rich man's gate while dogs licked his wounds.  The world did not help him.

 

        However, after death, he was carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom (Paradise).  He received perfect rest and comfort directly from God—things he had not found in the world.

        Message: This demonstrates that God’s help is not limited to material abundance or success on earth but is fulfilled beyond death in the eternal Kingdom of God.

 

Lazarus in the Gospel of John (Help through a historical sign/miracle)

     

        He fell ill and died; already confined in the tomb and decomposing.  It was a hopeless situation—a scene marked by the stench of death. It was a moment when all human hope for help had been completely cut off.

 

        Yet, Jesus wept, opened the tomb, and brought him back to life.

 

        Message: This event demonstrated, within the realm of history and time, that Jesus is indeed the "resurrection and the life" (Jn. 11:25).  It reveals that God’s help shatters even the ultimate human limit: death.

 

[Synthesis] Together, these two events provide a comprehensive picture: God’s help is not only the power that triumphs over physical death (as seen in the Gospel of John) but also the love that guarantees eternal life beyond death (as seen in the Gospel of Luke).

 

b.    Spiritual Death and *Ptochos* (πτωχὸς): Lazarus in the Tomb and the Poor in Spirit

 

As we reflected earlier, the term “ptochos” (πτωχὸς) signifies a state of "absolute bankruptcy"—having zero capacity to save oneself.  This concept aligns perfectly with the spiritual state of the deceased Lazarus in John 11.

 

The State of Lazarus in the Tomb (Spiritual “Ptochos”)

 

Having been dead for four days, Lazarus lay in the tomb, bound in burial cloths.  He possessed neither the tongue to cry out to Jesus for life nor the strength in his hands and feet to open the tomb and walk out.

 

This is precisely the condition of humanity spiritually dead due to sin, as described in the Bible: "you were dead in your transgressions and sins" (Eph. 2:1).  It is a state of utter “ptochos”—wholly unable to seek God or ask for salvation on one's own.

 

Rising Only Through the Voice (Grace) of Jesus

 

                          Into a scene of absolute powerlessness, the sovereign voice of Jesus is proclaimed: “Lazarus, come out!” (Jn. 11:43)

 

                          It was not Lazarus’s own will or effort that brought him back to life; it was solely the word and grace of Christ that revived him.

 

Connection to Matthew 5:3

 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit (ptochos), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

 

One who realizes—and is humbled by the realization—that spiritually they are a “ptochos” (utterly destitute), unable to do anything, much like a corpse in a tomb; one who cries out, “God, I am spiritually bankrupt and unable to save myself.”  Those who confess, "I need only the Lord’s grace (voice)," are the ones who are poor in spirit. God grants the gift of the Kingdom of Heaven (life) to precisely such people.

 

c.   Jesus’ Intention: Why did He use the name "Lazarus"?

Throughout the Gospels, the story of "Lazarus" in Luke 16 is the only instance where Jesus identifies a character in a parable by a specific name.  Furthermore, in John 11, He actually raises a person by that name from the dead. This contains a sophisticated and intentional message from Jesus directed at the Jewish people.

 

Overturning the Values ​​of the Establishment (Pharisees and the Wealthy)

 

In Jewish society at the time (especially among the Pharisees), "wealth" was equated with "God’s blessing," while "poverty and sickness" were viewed as "God’s curse."

 

Unlike the "rich man" in the parable who fades into oblivion without a name, Jesus calls the beggar "Lazarus" (meaning "one whom God helps").  By doing so, He proclaimed that the person scorned by the world is the very one remembered by God. He powerfully pierced the spiritual blind spot of the Jews, who judged people based on outward appearance and material possessions.

 

The Prophetic Fulfillment of the Luke 16 Parable (John 11)

 

At the conclusion of the parable in Luke 16, the rich man asks Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers to warn them. Abraham responds firmly: "Even if someone rises from the dead, they will not be convinced" (Lk. 16:31).

 

Yet, in John 11, an event actually occurs where a man named "Lazarus" dies and rises again. Jesus’ metaphor became a reality right before their eyes.

 

                                                            Exposing the Hard-heartedness of the Jews

When Lazarus was truly raised from the dead, the chief priests and Pharisees, far from repenting, conspired to kill both Jesus and Lazarus (Jn. 12:10).  By using the name "Lazarus" for both the parable and the actual event, Jesus laid bare before history the hard-heartedness of humanity—refusing to believe even after witnessing a miraculous sign—and the hypocrisy of the religious leaders.

 

In conclusion:

Through the Lazarus of the Gospel of Luke, we learn of the eternal kingdom of heaven we must look toward while on earth and the nature of spiritual poverty; through the Lazarus of the Gospel of John, we witness the resurrection power of Jesus, who revives us—spiritually bankrupt (ptōchos) and trapped in the grave—with but a single word.  We are all spiritual "Lazaruses," unable to live without the grace of God (Internet).

 

(ii)       The second Greek word is “εἱλκωμένος” (heilkōmenos), which is translated in the Korean Bible as “covered with sores” (v. 20).

 

·        This word is a key term that vividly portrays Lazarus’s miserable physical condition.  Artificial intelligence summarized the original meaning of this word and the spiritual message contained within it in three parts (Internet):

 

1.      Original Meaning: A Body Covered with Wounds and Pus

 

A Medical Term: This word is the perfect passive participle form of the Greek verb helkoō (ἑλκόω), meaning “to be ulcerated” or “to be covered with boils.”  Luke, who was a physician, described Lazarus’s condition with medical precision.  His skin was not merely wounded; rather, his entire body was covered with malignant boils and ulcers, oozing blood and pus.

 

Continuous Suffering: The use of the perfect participle indicates that these sores and the accompanying pain were not temporary or occasional.  They had persisted over a long period of time, gradually consuming his entire body.

2.      Social and Religious Meaning: The Stigma of Being “Cursed”

 

A Symbol of Uncleanness: In Jewish society of that time, severe skin diseases that produced running sores were considered “unclean” according to the Levitical law.  People likely looked at Lazarus and concluded, “This man is a sinner who has been cursed and judged by God,” avoiding him and looking down upon him.

 

Complete Isolation: Although he was laid at the rich man’s gate, no one cared for him.  Only dogs came and licked his wounds. Since dogs were considered unclean animals in Jewish culture, the image of unclean animals licking the wounds of an unclean man visually demonstrates how far Lazarus had fallen socially and religiously—to the very bottom of society.

 

3.      Its Spiritual Meaning in Connection with “Ptōchos” (πτωχὸς): The Condition of a Soul Corrupted by Sin

 

Spiritual Malnutrition and Misery: If ptōchos (“absolute poverty”) describes Lazarus’s economic and circumstantial helplessness, heilkōmenos (“covered with sores”) describes his physical and outward bankruptcy.  Both inwardly and outwardly, he was completely broken.

 

A Portrait of Our Spiritual Condition: This corresponds closely with Isaiah 1:6, where the prophet laments Israel’s sinful condition: “From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.”  It portrays the total corruption of humanity.  In other words, it visually depicts the miserable reality of fallen mankind whose entire soul is covered with the infection and corruption of sin apart from the grace of God.

 

Ultimately, in the eyes of the world, Lazarus was outwardly “covered with sores” (heilkōmenos) and inwardly a destitute beggar (ptōchos) with nothing.  Yet when God’s help came upon him—as his name indicates—his soul was received into Abraham’s bosom in the purest and most glorious condition.

 

-      As I reflected on the key word “εἱλκωμένος” (heilkōmenos)—“covered with sores”—which so vividly portrays Lazarus’s wretched physical condition, and read that his body was covered not merely with wounds but with malignant boils and ulcers flowing with blood and pus, I was reminded of Job in the Book of Job: “So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.  And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes” (Job 2:7–8).

 

Both Lazarus and Job appeared outwardly to be cursed by God.  Yet inwardly they were in a state of ptōchos—spiritual poverty—looking only to God.  In the end, both experienced the grace of “Lazarus,” that is, the grace of “God helps.” In this sense, they form a remarkable parallel.

 

The “sores” (heilkōmenos) of Lazarus and the “boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head” suffered by Job are not merely records of physical illness.  They are monumental spiritual signposts pointing to the biblical theme of the suffering of the righteous, culminating and finding fulfillment in the sufferings of Christ on the cross.

 

Artificial intelligence explained how the physical sufferings of these two men are closely connected to Christ’s suffering through three spiritual themes (Internet):

 

a.      Total Destruction and Complete Rejection (The Intensity of Suffering)

 

The sufferings of Lazarus and Job were forms of total devastation, leaving no part of them untouched.  Their misery closely parallels the physical and emotional suffering Jesus endured on the cross.

 

Lazarus and Job: Job was covered with boils from head to toe and scraped himself with broken pottery.  Lazarus’s entire body was covered with sores, and dogs licked his wounds.  They endured not only physical agony but also profound loneliness, being abandoned by family, friends, and society.

 

Christ’s Suffering: Jesus wore a crown of thorns upon His head.  His back was torn open by scourging.  His hands and feet were pierced with rough nails.  Isaiah prophetically described such suffering as a condition in which there is “no soundness from the sole of the foot to the head” (Isa. 1:6).  Moreover, Jesus experienced utter abandonment—betrayed by His disciples and, for a moment, forsaken by the Father as He bore the sins of the world.

 

The Connection: The wounds suffered by Job and Lazarus foreshadow Christ descending into the deepest depths of human suffering caused by sin.  They point forward to the One who would personally enter humanity’s pain and fully identify with it.

 

b.      The Social Stigma and Shame of Being Considered “Cursed” (The Nature of Suffering)

 

In that culture, malignant sores and oozing skin diseases were not viewed merely as illnesses.  They were commonly regarded as evidence of divine judgment.

 

Lazarus and Job: Job’s friends accused him, insisting that he must be suffering because of hidden sin.  Likewise, Lazarus, lying at the rich man’s gate, would have been viewed by passersby as a cursed sinner.

 

Christ’s Suffering: Jesus died upon a tree—the cross—which under Jewish law represented the ultimate symbol of divine curse.  People mocked Him, interpreting His suffering as proof that He was being punished by God: “We esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted” (Isa. 53:4).  Though completely sinless, He died bearing the appearance of the most unclean and condemned of men.

 

The Connection: Jesus took upon Himself the unjust stigma and shame that Job and Lazarus endured.  He willingly bore the curse of the most miserable “man covered with sores” so that those who truly lived under the curse might be redeemed.

 

c.      A Glorious Reversal Through Spiritual Poverty (Ptōchos) (The Outcome of Suffering)

 

The most important connection lies in the spiritual attitude displayed by these men amid suffering and in the glorious reversal that followed.

 

Lazarus and Job: In the midst of their suffering, neither turned away from God nor sought ultimate deliverance through human means.  They remained in the posture of ptōchos—absolute dependence upon God.  As a result, Job received double restoration, and Lazarus received eternal comfort in Abraham’s bosom.

 

Christ’s Suffering: Even in the extreme agony of the cross, Jesus submitted quietly to the Father's will.  As Isaiah prophesied: “Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth” (Isa. 53:7).  He did not save Himself by coming down from the cross.  Instead, He entrusted Himself completely to the Father. Then, on the third day, He rose from the dead and was exalted to the highest place of glory.

 

The Connection: The glory that followed the sufferings of Job and Lazarus foreshadows the resurrection and ultimate triumph of Christ and His kingdom.

 

Conclusion of the Meditation:

The boils of Job and the sores of Lazarus ultimately converge upon the heart of the Gospel: “By His stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5).

 

Jesus suffered undeservedly like Job. He was torn and broken like Lazarus.  He endured these things because we were spiritually covered with wounds and corruption—“covered with sores” and utterly destitute beggars (ptōchos).  Because He stood in that miserable place on our behalf, we have become spiritual “Lazaruses”—people whom God helps—and are now able to enjoy the comfort and consolation of heaven.

 

(b)   As I was meditating on Luke 16:21, where the beggar Lazarus “longed to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table,” I was reminded of the account in which Jesus tested the Canaanite woman (Mt. 15:22) [the Greek Syrophoenician woman (Mk. 7:26)] who pleaded with Him to heal her demon-possessed daughter.  Jesus said to her, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”  Yet the woman replied, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table” (Mt. 15:27).

 

(i)      Through the shared visual imagery of “what falls from the master's table,” these two passages perfectly illustrate how a spiritual “ptōchos” (one who is absolutely bankrupt) should long for and seek the grace of God (Internet):

 

1.      We must seek God by acknowledging our complete spiritual bankruptcy (total disarmament).

 

The place “under the table” (on the floor), which forms the backdrop of both passages, is the place where human righteousness, pride, and worldly qualifications are completely shattered and rendered powerless.

 

The situations in the passages: Lazarus was crouched on the ground before the rich man's gate, while the Canaanite woman fell at Jesus' feet and humbled herself to the position of a "dog."

 

The manner of longing: When approaching God, the spiritual ptōchos must completely abandon the attitude of a spiritual creditor who says, “I have served this much, held this position, and lived a good life.”  Instead, like Lazarus, who was utterly bankrupt in worldly terms, and like the Canaanite woman, who humbled herself completely, we must seek grace while confessing: “Lord, I am a spiritual sinner and bankrupt person who cannot produce righteousness through my own strength.”  This requires complete self-denial and total surrender.

 

2.      We must cling desperately to grace, believing that even a “crumb” is life itself (the absoluteness of grace).

 

The focus is not on the magnificent feast laid out on the table, but on the tiny pieces that fall beneath it—the crumbs.  Such a perspective reveals a desperate hunger for grace.

 

The situations in the passages: For Lazarus, those crumbs were the only means of sustaining his life.  For the Canaanite woman, a single word from the Lord—a "crumb" from His table—was the only ray of healing capable of saving her daughter.

 

The manner of longing: The longing of the ptōchos is not a casual attitude that says, “It would be nice if God gives me grace, but if not, that's fine.”  Rather, it is the desperation that says, “Without the Lord's grace, I am spiritually no different from a corpse starving to death today.”  Even if it is only one verse of Scripture that others may consider insignificant, or a seemingly small act of mercy that the Lord grants in passing—a "crumb"—the ptōchos recognizes that it is the only lifeline capable of saving the soul and clings to it with all one's strength.

 

3.      We must continue trusting in the goodness and abundance of the Master (the perspective of faith).

 

To look toward “the master's table” is ultimately to trust the abundant Provider who sits at that table—the Master Himself.

 

The situations in the passages: Even when Jesus seemed to reject her through His testing words, the Canaanite woman did not become discouraged and walk away.  Instead, she continued to speak of “the master's table,” trusting in the Lord's hidden mercy and abundant goodness to the very end.  Likewise, Lazarus, true to the meaning of his name—“God helps”—looked not to the rich man of this world but to the table of his heavenly Master.

 

The manner of longing: The true ptōchos continues believing that the Lord's table is always abundant and that He is the good Master who ultimately gives the best gifts to those who seek Him.  Even when circumstances appear to be rejection and suffering continues without relief, faith keeps its eyes fixed not on the floor but on the Master above the table.  This is the longing of faith.

 

Conclusion of the Meditation:

 

Ultimately, the longing of the ptōchos who seeks “the crumbs that fall from the master's table” is a posture of faith that honestly acknowledges the misery of one's condition (the floor) while desperately trusting in the abundant mercy of the Master (the table above).  God is the One who, to those who abandon self-righteousness and seek only His mercy—to the poor in spirit, the ptōchos—does not merely give crumbs.  Rather, He sets before them the entire Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven itself, as an overflowing banquet (Internet).